Child poverty in Scotland

Date: 13th June 2013
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Despite official poverty statistics published on 13th June 2013 showing that the number of children living in relative poverty has fallen in Scotland between 2009-10 and 2011-12, Scotland's Deputy First Minister warned that there is no room for complacency.

Estimates suggest that more than 50,000 children are at risk of being pushed into poverty in Scotland by 2020. Scotland's Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, pointed out that the recent figures showing that the number of children living in relative poverty has fallen do not take into account the full impact of the UK Government's welfare reforms. The figures also show a fall in average household earnings in Scotland over two years from £461 per week to £436.

Ms Sturgeon said: "These figures released today - while welcome - present a complex picture in terms of understanding child poverty in Scotland. While the number of children in poverty fell in 2011-12 compared to the previous year, this decrease was the result of an overall drop in average household incomes across the UK."

• Read the full article here.
• Access the child poverty 2011-12 data here.